Every 3 to 4 months or so, the planet Mercury goes into an astronomical cycle referred to as “retrograde”. What this means is that it appears to move backward on the horizon into what is considered its “shadow” for a period of about 3 weeks. When this happens, cultures going back thousands of years have noticed issues in the areas of communication, in the way we interact with others and in our surroundings and neighborhood. It also shows up as disruptions in travel, the way we get around and in our interaction with our siblings. That day is today.
And so these areas of our lives–communication, scheduling, transportation and judgment become murky and error prone.
On one level, there is not much you can do about the actions of others, except to be more conscious and prepare for delays and errors by double checking all of your information, data and facts.
But on the personal level, there is obviously a lot you can do to avoid what can be unpleasant consequences of the Mercury Retrograde cycle. Most of us run into problems when we are not present, aware or conscious of what is going on around us–which happens mostly when we come from the place of our head and not our heart.
Things like reacting from our needs, getting our buttons being pushed, or the way that we take care of others and not ourselves are all from our shadows, which is what Mercury retrograde is all about.
As much as our outer lives may be challenged during the Mercury retrograde cycle, inner reflection and contemplation are very supported during this time. I take advantage of the Mercury retrograde cycle by cleaning house of what no longer serves me and approaching everyone and everything during this period with this mantra: kind words, gentle approaches, reflections of me.
The Mercury “pre-shadow” phase begins June 15tg and runs until July 7th when Mercury retrograde proper phase begins which lasts for about 3 weeks until August 1.
